Wake Forest voters will elect three town commissioners next Tuesday, Nov. 8, and The Wake Forest Gazette is publishing their submitted biographies this week to help voters make their decisions. The biographies are not edited.
            Also, because of changes at the Wake Forest Golf Club, there is a second question, asking each candidate how he or she would respond if asked to change the existing Planned Unit Development governing the golf course. Please see the articles in this issue about the golf course and the candidates’ responses.
            Two incumbents, Commissioners Anne Hines and Peter Thibodeau, are each seeking a second term. The other six candidates are, in alphabetical order, Ben Clapsaddle, Zachary Donahue, Greg Harrington, Matthew Reck, Jim Thompson and Sherry Ward.
            Polling places will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. You can find your precinct polling place and view a sample ballot at www.wakegov.com/elections.
            Unofficial results will be reported on all local television and radio stations, and the Wake County Board of Elections will certify the results on Nov. 15. Nov. 15 is also the date for the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners’ regular meeting when the newly-elected board members traditionally are seated at the close of the meeting. To avoid any problems, the current town commissioners have voted to seat the new board members at their regular December meeting, Dec. 20.
                Ben Clapsaddle: I am a son of North Carolina, working her cotton and tobacco fields during the summer to save for college. I graduated from Pine Forest HS in Fayetteville and continued my education at The Citadel, where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and was commissioned as an Army Second Lieutenant in 1981. I served our Nation in both Peace and War, and was stationed and served across our country and in West Germany, South Korea, Iraq (Desert Storm) and Afghanistan. I am a qualified Army Parachutist and Strategist, and among my awards and decorations are the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and Defense Meritorious Service Medal.
            During my Army career, I earned master’s degrees from Central Michigan University and the U.S. Army War College. I retired from the Army in 2008 as a Colonel with over 27 years of service to our Nation. I am a certified Project Management Professional, and serve as a Booz Allen Hamilton Consultant to the U.S. Army, helping train and prepare Soldiers to counter Improvised Explosive Devices, before they depart for combat.
            The Clapsaddle Family returned to North Carolina in 2005, when I was assigned as the North Carolina National Guard’s Senior Army Advisor. Nancy, the kids, and I knew Wake Forest was our home as soon as we arrived in town. Nancy and I were married in Raleigh in 1982. She is from Oak City, NC and is a graduate of East Carolina University. We have two children; Nathan and Ranie. Nathan is an Eagle Scout, a Wake Forest-Rolesville (WFR) High School Class of 2010 graduate and a sophomore at UNC-G; and Ranie is a sophomore at WFR High School and a member of the Marching Cougar Band.
            My mentors, friends and especially my parents taught me that hard work combined with a strong family and faith equals success. I have served our Nation as a Soldier in Peace and War. I ask that you allow me to serve our Town as a Commissioner . . . together we can help everyone reach for and achieve their own American Dream.
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            Zachary Donahue: My name is Zachary Thomas Donahue, and I live at 504 Wheddon Cross Way in Wake Forest, where I have lived for nearly 8 years. My wife of 14 years, Andrea Donahue, and I were high school sweethearts and we have two children: Sean, 12, who attends Heritage Middle School, and Lauren, 10, who attends Jones Dairy Elementary School. I am a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and run the local office of a national accounting firm. I serve as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Casa Esperanza, a dual-language Montessori charter school in Raleigh.
            I have served the Town of Wake Forest for several years in a variety of ways:
·         The Board of Commissioners appointed me to the Wake Forest Planning Board in January 2008
·         I was reappointed to the Planning Board to serve another term in January 2010.
·         Member of the Community Plan Steering Committee
·         Member of the Transportation Plan Citizen Advisory Group
·         Member of the Unified Development Ordinance Advisory Committee
·         Participant in the Town of Wake Forest Planning Board Academy
            My participation in these various groups has provided me valuable background and insight as to the history of Wake Forest, its current state, and the vision for where it is headed. I have also participated as a parent and coach for a variety of Wake Forest Parks and Recreation athletic leagues.
            During my tenure on the Planning Board, I have worked side by side with the Board of Commissioners, making difficult decisions on numerous issues that have helped shape the Town of Wake Forest. I ran for the Board of Commissioners in 2009, and received the third highest number of votes when there were only two open positions, as opposed to the three open positions currently.
            I am uniquely qualified to provide significant contributions to the Board of Commissioners through my professional background as a CPA, my leadership as Board Chair for a local charter school, and my first-hand experience dealing with a variety of critical issues facing the Town. Citizens can learn more about me from my website at www.facebook.com/VoteDonahue.
            I would appreciate if you would cast one of your votes on November 8 for Zachary Donahue to build a better Wake Forest!
            Thank you.
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            Greg Harrington: I was born and raised in Elizabeth City, NC. I have been married to my wife, Diane, for 37 years. We have two daughters, Lori (married to Paul Eitel) of Wake Forest, and Stacey (married to Shannon Harris), of Roanoke, VA. We have six grandchildren between the ages of eight and two.
After serving four years in the Air Force, including one year in DaNang, Vietnam, I graduated with Honors from Beaufort County Technical Institute with an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice. I then graduated cum laude from Elizabeth City State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. I served as a police officer in four departments prior to being hired as Police Chief of Wake Forest in October 1993, and served in that capacity until my retirement in December 2009.
In my eighteen years in Wake Forest, I have been privileged to serve our community through many organizations, including the Wake Forest Boys and Girls Club, the NC Special Olympics, the NC D.A.R.E. Foundation, Wake Forest VFW Post 8644, the Wake Forest Fourth of July Committee, Hoops for Wake Forest, the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation, the NC Chapter of FBI National Academy Associates, and the NC Association of Chiefs of Police. I am currently a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church, and am honored to have served this and previous church families in the capacities of Deacon, Sunday School Director, and Trustee.
You can see a more complete list of my service record on my Facebook page. Thank you for considering me for the position of Town Commissioner.
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            Anne Hines: I grew up in Greenville, SC and attended Furman University. A summer job working in advertising changed my direction. I had the opportunity to do graphics and write copy for the local newspaper. I married Bill Hines in 1994 and we moved to Charleston, SC. While there I attend the College of Charleston, taking accounting courses. From Charleston our moves took us to Wilmington, Washington and to Raleigh in 1979. In 1987, Bill and I, along with four other families moved to the Staffordshire subdivision in Wake Forest. Bill passed away in 1989. In 1996, I married Mike Reeve (USArmy Ret) and we continued to make Wake Forest our home. Mike also recently retired from Home Depot.
            For most of my work career I was involved in non-profit association management. I served as executive director of several state, regional and national trade and professional organizations. My early advertising experience gave me the skills I needed to produce newsletters, brochures, programs, magazines, trade shows and many other promotional pieces for these groups.
            My involvement in the Wake Forest community began in the early 1990s by attending the planning board and town board meetings because of an issue that involved my neighborhood. Attending these meetings became a habit. But it taught me the workings of Town government. I am in my first term as a Wake Forest Town Commissioner. It has been a very rewarding experience. In this tough economy, Wake Forest has been able to stay in a positive financial status, with an AAA rating. We have not had to lay off any employees and continue to give merit raises. I have learned a lot and know I have made a difference as Commissioner. My other involvements: I serve as secretary for the Wake Forest Purple Heart Foundation Board of Directors. The annual Purple Heart dinner has grown in three years to be a premier event for the recipients. I am a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Chamber of Commerce, and ARTS. I’m an ex-officio for the Cemetery Advisory Board and the Human Relations Council. I have served two times on the Transportation Committee. I am a past member of Civitans (Wake Forest charter member and North Raleigh).
            It would be my great honor to continue to serve Wake Forest as Town Commissioner and support the continued success of our town.
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            Matthew Reck: I am Matthew S. Reck, 708 Ledgerock Road (Deacons Ridge). My family and I have lived in here since 2006. I was born and raised in Old Bridge, N.J., and have lived there until moving to Wake Forest. I attended High Point University in High Point, N.C., and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science back in 1993.
            My wife Maria José (Mary Jo) are the parents of two daughters’ Rebecca age 11 and Emily age 9 are in at WFE. Our cat Mimi and Dog Jesse round out the family. I have served on the Deacons Ridge HOA Board of Directors for 4 years. I was involved with the Wake Forest First Light Committee in 2008 and 2009. We are also active members of St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church. I am currently going through the process of converting to Catholicism.
            I have spent over 15 years in the insurance industry in a variety of positions, including Fraud Investigation, Policy Service, Credentialing, Sales and administration. Your vote matters to me. Please feel free to contact me through my website www.4Matt4WakeForest.com or  919-368-7339.
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          Peter Thibodeau: I currently serve as a Town Commissioner, where I have been a proven leader and consensus builder, making sure that we all work together in a cooperative manner to make the best decisions for the future of Wake Forest. Throughout my term, I have supported and acted on conservative fiscal policies, balanced growth of both residential and commercial projects, investment and support of new businesses, and downtown revitalization efforts. We have accomplished many of the Town’s goals during this period and Wake Forest has weathered the tough economic times better than most if not all surrounding communities. We continue to attract new businesses and residential development without raising taxes or sacrificing our vision for the future of Wake Forest. Prior to my election as Town Commissioner, I served for nearly 2 years on the Wake Forest Planning Advisory Board. As a Town Commissioner, I am on the Public Works Committee, and I am also an ex officio member of the Greenways Advisory Board and the Urban Forestry Board.
            I work for Cardno ENTRIX as a senior water resources management practitioner. My primary responsibilities include overseeing large projects and programs that focus on watershed evaluation projects, water resources development and management, and responsible development for both small- and large-scale projects across the Southeastern U.S. My professional experience in permitting and analysis has been of great value to me in helping make informed decisions for our Town.
            We need experienced Commissioners who have kept Wake Forest thriving during this tough national economy, and I want to continue to apply my experience and strength as a leader for our town. I am proud to be part of a Board that works together without any partisanship, finding solutions and compromises to make the best decisions for Wake Forest. I believe that we have done well for the Town’s citizens over the last four years, and look forward to the opportunity to keep us on our successful path. I thank everyone for their support in the past, and ask all of you to please vote for Peter Thibodeau on November 8^th. I will continue to work hard for you, ensuring that Wake Forest stays a dynamic and inviting place to live and grow.
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          Jim Thompson: I have been a resident of Wake Forest since 2006 and reside in the Shearon Farms neighborhood, 9713 Precious Stone Drive. I grew up in Raleigh and graduated from Millbrook High School, attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and graduated in 1994 with degrees in English and Political Science.
            After graduating, I began working with the Greensboro News & Record, where I worked for 6 years. In 2000, I left journalism in search of a new challenge, which I found in the association profession with the NC Association of REALTORS®. I spent 6 years with NCAR, five years were as the Director of Business Development, a position I created. In 2005, I earned the coveted CAE (Certified Association Executive) and also graduated from the US Chamber’s Institute program. In September of that same year, I was named the Executive Director of AENC (Association Executives of North Carolina).
            Since moving to Wake Forest with my wife, Hollyn, and our two children, Nelson and Lily, I immediately got involved in the town through service on the Wake Forest Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. I also play in the worship band at Wakefield United Methodist Church and serve on the church’s advisory board.
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          Sherry Ward: I am Sherry Davis Ward and I live at 8816 Cochran Court, Wake Forest. I have been a resident for five years.
          My hometown is Tallahassee, Florida. I earned a B.A. from Hampton University, M.S. Ed. and P.D. degrees from Mercy College. In addition, I am a NC Education Policies (EPFP) Fellow, Institute of Political Leadership (IOPL) Fellow, E.A. Morris Emerging Leaders Fellow and Global Education Policy Senior Fellow (GEPFP) with international studies in China.
          I have one child, Sterling.
          I am employed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as an Education Consultant. In addition to work at the state level, I have worked in many capacities within the field of education including classroom teacher, school administrator, district level grants manager and federal peer reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
          I attend Body of Christ Church in Raleigh. Since living in Wake Forest, I have briefly served as chair of the Caddell Woods Subdivision Homeowners Association, hosted several public information sessions, lunch and learns and forums for Wake Forest citizens.
          My experiences and expertise are broad in scope. I have a true demonstrated passion for community service and I hope that Wake Forest voters will support me in serving them on the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners.